North York Moors National Park Authority Response to Glover Review of Protected Landscapes Summary of Recommendations to the Panel Principles for Governance • A variety of routes to the Board is good. • Retain local and national level appointments. • Emphasise all Members are appointees not representatives and are required to pursue the interests of the National Park. • No one block of Members should dominate. • Increase diversity. • Retain independence of the National Park Authority from central government (eg not nationally appointed Chairs) within the appropriate level of scrutiny. • Make clearer that there is a high level of national/central government expectation on Members to deliver ambitiously in terms of Park purposes. • Increase ability to appoint to secure particular skills. • Ensure National members are appointed in a timely fashion and provide interview panels with the ability to make specific recommendations on individuals to the appointing minister. Wildlife and Conservation Initiate a debate on the implementation powers of National Park Management Plans related to wildlife • Review the wildlife powers of organisations working in National Parks and consider how they should be shared with or transferred to National Park Authorities • Provide National Park Authorities with the remit to deliver the new Environmental Land Management Schemes • Consider whether National Park Authorities should ultimately have the powers to deliver measures that clearly benefit conservation by creating National Park specific legislation for encouraging more wildlife and better habitats. Purposes and Duty • Maintain the two National Park purposes as they are. • Widen the socio-economic duty to include the health and well-being of the public. • Strengthen the existing duty of relevant authorities (S11A (2) 1949 NPAC Act) to “further National Park purposes” in exercising or performing any functions in relation to or so as to affect land in a National Park (with a wider definition of relevant authorities to cover those operating in the public realm). • Introduce a “Duty to Cooperate” for public authorities including the production, promotion and implementation of National Park Management Plans. New National Parks • The priority is to raise expectations for existing National Parks; the standard for designation should not be lowered. • Link existing National Parks via National Trails and green corridors • Designating new areas while reducing resources to existing ones would not be an overall improvement. Finance and Funding • Maintain the real level of DEFRA grant to National Parks • Recoup costs of planning enforcement • Support / promote the National Lottery • Secure full cost recovery for planning fees • Investigate options for optimising the benefits from all visitor car park income to National Park visitor infrastructure and conservation goals • Recognise volunteer value in return requests Rights of Way and Highways • Transfer the legal responsibility and resources for the practical management of rights of way to National Park Authorities • Strengthen National Park legislation to remove mechanised rights for green lane users where special qualities are suffering unacceptable impacts • Establish a requirement for Highways agencies to adopt a more sympathetic approach to signage and road management within National Park boundaries 2 Portrait of the North York Moors National Park The North York Moors National Park mostly lies within North Yorkshire with a small northern part of its area in Redcar & Cleveland. Its total area is 1,436 sq. km, (143,608 hectares), which is 17% of the land area of North Yorkshire. The National Park is home to 22,976 residents who are essential to the culture, communities, economy and upkeep of the National Park. The distinctive landscapes of the North York Moors are the result of a complex geological past. The upland moor plateau is separated by deep narrow dales. To the north is the edge of the Cleveland Hills which drop down to the Tees lowlands. To the east, dramatic coastal scenery including tall cliffs dominates, with tight-knit historic fishing villages nestling into the coastline. To the south the Tabular Hills punctuate the landscape and offer views over the Vale of Pickering. To the west, steep scarp slopes some 300 metres high afford a vantage point to enjoy expansive views over the Hambleton Hills and Vale of Mowbray, including a view from Sutton Bank once described by author James Herriot as the finest in England. The main characteristic of the National Park is one of deep rurality, which belies its rich cultural heritage. Most of its modern day settlements lie on the edges of the National Park, meaning its more central areas are often very remote. The central block of moorland is managed for grouse and supports other distinctive wildlife, especially breeding waders. Farming is relatively varied, and there is a large area of woodland adding considerably to the area’s biodiversity. Tourism is the largest industry. 3 Introduction 1. 65 years on from their first designation we agree with the Secretary of State’s analysis that the English National Parks have been a significant national achievement. They have given inspiration and recreation to many millions, conserved wonderful landscapes and have done this while nurturing their communities and, against expectations perhaps, delivering strong rural economies. 2. The North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) welcomes both the opportunity to respond to this review and the positive response to the request of the English National Parks for such a review to be carried out. This reflected a view put to Ministers by the National Parks that the time was right for a review which could help forge a revitalised vision for the English National Parks to inspire them for the next 65 years. The NYMNPA welcomes this approach and aspires to a bolder remit for our National Parks that is fit for the 21st century, with the right powers and resources to respond to the urgent issues affecting these treasured landscapes. 3. We know that now more than ever our residents and visitors value these beautiful spaces, because they tell us so. We have a duty to meet their expectations and secure the precious qualities of our National Parks for future generations. 4. We want to address any hint of complacency by urging the review to put substantial asks to Government that support major changes in the significance and contribution of National Parks to our national identity. This submission is being made following considerable local comment and discussion. We expect however to receive further local comments and for groups such as the Local Access Forum to make their views known to us. The NYMNPA may therefore submit further views, including in response to proposals for boundary changes. But first let us record some of the achievements of the North York Moors National Park Authority and its predecessor Committee. • Our routine education programme covers all the National Park and all surrounding secondary schools, including from Teesside south of the Tees, allowing contact with children during their education. • The Farm Scheme ran for 25 years and eventually covered all the main dales in the National Park; it was hugely influential in the evolution of agri-environment schemes. It has left a stunning visual legacy of positive change and good farming relations. • We have shown you can metaphorically “eat the view”. Despite predictions of gloom the combination of protective planning policies and positive conservation action have delivered a stunning environment alongside a strong economy and stable1 communities that gain direct economic benefit from landscape beauty. • Every £1 of Defra money we spend generates at least £7.21 of social value. • We have a 7,000 hectare native woodland planting programme, not far from as much broadleaf woodland as you can find in the New Forest. • We have trained more than 120 apprentices since 2002, way beyond the national average, have won numerous national awards and are Defra’s leading agency in this field. Most of these young people have then found full time work in the local area. • Until the reductions in funding after the 2008 financial crisis we ran the Moorsbus network described as ‘arguably one of the best recreational bus networks in a Protected Area in Europe’.2 1 NYMNP population today is almost identical to 1960s population despite the national drift to the cities. 2 The service continues excellently but in sadly much reduced form run by a community interest company. 4 • We have also received, as far as we know, more awards and endorsements under Chartermark and Customer Service Excellence than any other organisation in the country. • A dynamic approach to planning has approved a legacy of brilliant new buildings for future generations to admire and we have restored much of historic importance. We have delivered 125 high quality affordable houses over the past ten years. • Volunteers now contribute more than 13,000 days to the National Park each year, 108,000 over the last ten years. • We have improved the quality of Rights of Way in the National Park by around 20% since 2001. • We were the first planning authority in the country to introduce comprehensive enforcement cost recovery. 5. Our track record sets a baseline – with stronger powers and long term committed resources we can and should set the bar much higher. But the immediate future is precarious and the last few years have not been without significant problems. Large cuts